Post on 18-Aug-2020
Over the past years, changing climatic conditions and
overexploitation of forest resources are putting stress on
the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities
throughout Vietnam.
The USAID-funded Vietnam Forests and Deltas Program is
working with ethnic minority communes in the upland
forests of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces to design
and implement climate smart livelihood models tailored to
the specific local conditions. Interventions focus on
introducing resilient agricultural production systems,
supporting income diversification strategies, and
incentivizing sustainable forest management. This
package of solutions helps to strengthen the capacity of
local communities to cope with climate change challenges
while reducing deforestation and forest degradation
across the landscape.
Designing effective livelihood interventions requires a
thorough understanding of the local context. A series of
meetings were held in the communes to identify issues
and priorities, taking into account the specific
geographical conditions, climate change threats, market
opportunities, and local values and needs. Emphasis was
placed on inclusive and participatory decision-making.
Every household was encouraged to actively take part in
the community meetings to ensure a transparent and
collective design process. For each commune one or more
livelihood models were selected, and combined with
measures to support sustainable forest management.
In some communes the livelihood models were derived as
part of a participatory planning process which integrated
climate change adaptation and natural resource
management into commune socio-economic development
planning.
Climate smart rice production
Sloping agriculture land techniques
Indigenous chicken raising combined with earth
worm raising
Agroforestry
Home gardens
Beekeeping
Bio-fertilizer production from agricultural waste
Cattle rearing in buffer zone of protected area to
reduce grazing pressure
Improved cook stoves and biogas
Non-timber forest products
Vietnam Forests and Deltas Program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Winrock
International in partnership with Vietnam Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD), SNV Netherlands Development Organisation,
American Red Cross, Vietnam Red Cross and Center for Sustainable Rural Development.
To support the implementation of the selected climate
smart livelihood models, training courses were provided in
collaboration with six district Agricultural Extension
Centers. A farmer field school approach was adopted,
enabling the participants to work in a familiar
environment and learn by observing, analyzing and trying
out new ideas on their own fields. Through the trainings
the community members gained technical knowledge and
capacity to establish climate smart livelihood models, and
awareness was raised about climate change and the
importance of forest protection.
Gender plays an important role in all of the livelihood
programs. Rural women in Vietnam are key stewards in
agricultural cultivation and forest-based livestock
activities. Their decisions determine the way household
lands are managed and have a strong impact on food
security and climate resilience. For this reason, women
are involved both as trainers and key beneficiaries of the
climate smart livelihood interventions.
Effectively addressing climate change challenges requires
concerted action by a large variety of stakeholders and
sectors, across the wider landscape. After designing and
piloting climate smart livelihood interventions at the local
level, proven success models are upscaled to the
provincial level. The USAID Vietnam Forests and Deltas
Program builds institutional capacity for upscaling by
involving government stakeholders in the pilots,
developing guidelines, organizing trainings, collaborating
with mass organizations like Women‟s Unions and
Farmers‟ Unions, and supporting enabling policies.
One of the livelihood models introduced in Nghe An
consists of an integrated agroforestry system. In
this system, the medicinal plant Alpinia Bracteata,
locally referred to as “bon bo”, is planted under the
forest cover. Bon Bo belongs to the ginger family
and grows naturally in Vietnam‟s forest. It is
traditionally used to treat a variety of ailments
including toothache, bronchial infections, sore throat
and diabetes. Through trainings, the villagers
learned how to collect seedlings from the forest, and
set up and maintain sustainable agroforestry farms.
The project plans to provide trainings on market
access to support the villagers in selling their
produce to China. It is expected that the plantations
will yield around 1 ton of bon bo per hectare per
year, which can be worth 1500 to 2000 USD on the
Chinese market.
The bon bo agroforestry model has been set up in 5
villages so far, involving 286 people, of which
around 200 are women. The aim is to reach up to
600 households by replicating this model in other
villages.
– Ms. Vi Thi Nhan, inhabitant of Ban Ve Village
In the northwestern part of Vietnam‟s Nghe An province
lies the 75,000 hectare Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, which
was established in 2013. The forested upland reserve is
rich in biodiversity, providing habitats for a broad and
diverse range of animals and plants. Despite the reserve‟s
protected area status, unsustainable exploitation of
natural resources due to lack of law enforcement is
threatening wildlife populations and leading to loss and
degradation of the forest areas.
The USAID-funded Vietnam Forests and Deltas Program is
working in close collaboration with the protected area
staff to implement models and tools for improved
management and protection of this new reserve. As a first
step, field surveys and community mapping exercises
were undertaken in order to gain a thorough
understanding of the biodiversity values of the area,
analyze threats, and identify community forest use
patterns. The outcomes allowed to define conservation
priorities and design tailored interventions.
To design effective interventions for safeguarding the
integrity of the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, it is important to
understand the current situation and key issues. Field
surveys and community meetings were conducted in order
to obtain data on biodiversity, threats and community
forest use. Based on the findings, recommendations were
made for improving forest management and protection.
To assess the reserve‟s conservation significance, a
field survey was conducted to determine the
occurrence of a number of easily identifiable flagship
species – rare, threatened or endemic species with
high conservation importance. The findings indicate
the existence of relatively large populations of
primates, bears, deer and other key species. The
survey provides insight in which biodiversity hotspots
should be prioritized for regular species monitoring
and forms the basis for developing conservation
action plans.
Community meetings were organized in 10 villages to
gain insight in community forest use patterns and
identify key threats to wildlife and forest protection.
Through participatory mapping techniques, group
discussions and interviews, data was collected from
254 individuals. The results show that forest products
are often collected beyond the community forests due
unclear park boundaries. Key threats identified
include hunting and trapping animals, illegal timber
logging, unsustainable collection of non-timber forest
products, and swidden agriculture.
These findings highlight the urgent need to
strengthen conservation efforts, notably through
improving law enforcement, establishing community-
based conservation models, and creating alternative
livelihood options.
Vietnam Forests and Deltas Program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Winrock
International in partnership with Vietnam Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD), SNV Netherlands Development Organisation,
American Red Cross, Vietnam Red Cross and Center for Sustainable Rural Development.
Based on the identified issues and conservation needs,
trainings were developed for the reserve staff. A total of
25 forest rangers received formal and on-the-job training
on a broad range of topics including biodiversity
conservation, protected area management, engaging
communities, interview methods, participatory mapping,
flagship species and threat monitoring, and forest fire
control. A key part of the training program consisted of
practical learning sessions on the use of GPS and other
tablet-based tools in monitoring activities. These tools can
strongly support conservation efforts as they allow for
more efficient and accurate data collection and analysis.
The trainings also included a study tour to three protected
areas in Hue and Quang Binh provinces, in order to
facilitate knowledge exchange.
Local communities can play a key role in conservation
efforts, as they often contribute to the overexploitation of
forest resources, while at the same time being dependent
on the sustainable management of these resources for
their livelihoods. To ensure all communities understand
their rights and responsibilities it is important that the
boundaries of the reserve and of community lands are
well understood. In six communes, the USAID Vietnam
Forests and Deltas Program worked with the reserve staff
and the village leaders to set up and implement
participatory boundary mapping exercises. Using maps
and GPS devices, villagers set out to demarcate the
boundaries of their lands, which allowed them to detect
problem areas and resolve any disputes.
Once the boundaries were clear, the villagers received
training on where forest products can and cannot be
harvested, how to harvest these in a sustainable way, and
how to report violations of forest law. In villages in the
buffer zones, alternative livelihood options are being
introduced, notably home gardens and grass planting for
livestock. Plans are underway for implementing
community based forest management schemes, which will
reward households financially for protecting forest areas.
The program will continue to support community
engagement in conservation activities in order to achieve
improved forest quality while enhancing the wellbeing of
local population groups.
Key sustainability issues of illegal logging and wildlife
hunting are not limited to Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, but go
beyond the park boundaries. Effectively addressing these
threats requires combining multiple sources of information
on biodiversity and forest cover in surrounding forest
areas and developing joint management structures. Of
particular importance is the neighboring Xuan Lien Nature
Reserve in Thanh Hoa province. To increase collaboration
between the two reserves, the USAID Vietnam Forests
and Deltas Program facilitated an interprovincial
agreement between Nghe An and Thanh Hoa which was
approved in September 2015. This agreement represents
a key step towards addressing transboundary issues and
achieving sustainable landscapes.
– Mr. Nguyen Thanh Chung - official from Pu Hoat
Nature Reserve
Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces, in the North Central
Region of Vietnam, both have a high forest cover which
extends over more than half of their land area. These
forests play a key role in biodiversity conservation and
provide essential ecosystem services to local populations.
However, agricultural expansion, logging and
infrastructure development are putting pressure on the
forest areas. To reduce emissions from deforestation and
forest degradation while continuing to improve the
livelihoods of local communities, ways need to be found to
balance the objectives of the forestry, agriculture and
energy sectors across the landscape.
The USAID-funded Vietnam Forests and Deltas Program
supports the provincial governments of Thanh Hoa and
Nghe An as well as other provinces in the North Central
Region in sustainable land use planning and climate
change action under the REDD+ framework. Specifically,
support is provided for developing Provincial REDD+
Action Plans (PRAPs), facilitating access to sustainable
finance, and piloting REDD+ interventions on the ground.
Achieving sustainable landscapes requires careful
planning. To support subnational planning processes, the
USAID Vietnam Forests and Deltas Program is leading the
development of PRAPs for three North Central provinces;
Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Quang Binh. Support is provided
by conducting assessments on forest cover and the
drivers of deforestation, and by building institutional
capacity for refining the PRAP process. To ensure full
stakeholder engagement a variety of participatory
methods are introduced, including multi-stakeholder
meetings and focus group discussions at the community
level.
The resulting PRAPs outline the long term strategies of the
provinces to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from forest
related sources and enhance forest carbon stocks. The
plans integrate the development visions of all relevant
stakeholder groups and will support global commitments
to mitigate climate change.
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest
Degradation (REDD+) is a framework through which
developing countries are incentivized to support
sustainable management and protection of forests and
enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
Vietnam Forests and Deltas Program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Winrock
International in partnership with Vietnam Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD), SNV Netherlands Development Organisation,
American Red Cross, Vietnam Red Cross and Center for Sustainable Rural Development.
The USAID Vietnam Forests and Deltas Program is
supporting provincial efforts to harness REDD+ financing.
The program played a critical role in the development of
an Emission Reductions Program Document for six North
Central provinces, submitted to the World Bank‟s Forest
Carbon Partnership Facility. The support has involved
catalyzing agreement on the outline for the PRAPs,
providing capacity building trainings, and coordinating
technical studies to support the development of social
safeguards and benefit distribution mechanisms for future
REDD+ payments. This work is helping to build a
foundation for better forest management and offers the
potential to leverage an estimated 50 million USD through
the Carbon Fund by 2020, which would be one of the first
REDD+ payment successes in the region.
If the Emission Reductions Program Document is
approved, the World Bank‟s Carbon Fund will provide
performance-based payments based on the tons of CO2
equivalent reduced compared to the business-as-usual
scenario. In order to receive such payments, the
provinces will have to demonstrate that they are reducing
emissions from forest related sources or enhancing or
conserving forests carbon stocks. In Nghe An and Thanh
Hoa, the USAID Vietnam Forests and Deltas Program is
piloting various emission reduction strategies on the
ground to determine whether they are suitable for
meeting the Carbon Fund‟s financing requirements.
Successful models will be upscaled to the provincial level
in order to achieve meaningful emission reductions from
the forestry sector, while sustaining economic growth and
enhancing local livelihoods.
Some of the models and approaches which are being
tested include:
Participatory forest land allocation to address
issues related to land tenure.
Improved management and protection of special
use forests to maintain forest ecosystems and
protect biodiversity.
Community based forest management to
enhance forest protection and bring greater
benefits to local people.
Sustainable livelihood strategies in buffer zones
to reduce pressure on neighboring forest areas.
Improved strategies for maintaining seed stock
quality for carbon stock enhancement.
Sustainable bamboo forest management
through collaboration with the private sector.
– Mr. Nguyen Duc Quyen - Standing Vice Chairman
of Thanh Hoa Province